About Instead

Instead is a tax platform designed to help taxpayers and tax professionals collaborate to save money on taxes. As the first company in decades to receive IRS approvals to E-file 1040, 1041, 1120, 1120S, and 1065 — we’re re-inventing a complex category. Founded in 2023, Instead combines LLMs with tax law to make tax management a continuous, proactive process rather than a dreaded annual deadline.

Instead’s investors include Sarah Guo, from Conviction (conviction.com) and many of our customers who believe in our mission and vision. The Instead team comprises talented leaders from leading tax, financial services and fintech companies — Gusto, Intuit, Zenefits, Thomson Reuters, Wolters Kluwer, Bloomberg — as well as top tax & accounting firms such as PwC, BDO, RSM, and KPMG.

Instead was a 2024 Innovation Award Finalist in CPA Practice Advisor. Instead’s CEO, Andrew Argue, is a CPA and has been named Top 100 Most Influential People in the Accounting Profession twice - Ones To Watch and CPA Practice Advisors 20 under 40.

About the Role

We are looking for a tax professional to drive tax form development and testing. You will own the development and testing of hundreds of tax forms in multiple jurisdictions. You will work with partners in government liaison, engineering, prompt engineering, and applied AI to achieve our annual goals to comply with government requirements. You will liaise with the IRS as well as dozens of departments of revenue (DORs) from state and local governments to receive annual approvals for electronic and print filing. This role requires a deep understanding and familiarity with preparing and reviewing tax returns across all core U.S. tax entity types (1040, 1041, 1120, 1120S, 1065). You should have the ability to build accurate tax products, to take on a variety of small and big tasks, and to independently drive to meet government deadlines.

What You'll Do

• Conduct technical reviews of tax form calculations, ensuring precise alignment with federal and state requirements
• Guide the development of unit tests, taxpayer scenario tests, and quality assurance processes ensuring tax calculation accuracy
• Perform tests as defined by the government to achieve approval for electronic and print filing
• Partner with our engineering, prompt engineering, and applied AI teams to improve our tax engine's accuracy and capabilities

What You Need

• EA, CPA, JD or equivalent deep expertise in tax compliance
• 5+ years of experience in tax preparation or tax software development
• Strong technical understanding of professional tax software products
• Proven experience reviewing complex tax returns and calculations
• Ability to translate complex tax regulations into technical requirements
• Enthusiasm for working with cutting-edge AI technology
• Excellence in cross-functional collaboration and communication

Nice to Have

• Experience with multiple tax preparation software products
• Experience from one of the top 25 accounting firms
• Familiarity with government E-file and print requirements
• Experience with tax research tools and methodologies

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity in a rapidly growing company
• 100% medical coverage for you
• Unlimited PTO with quarterly bonus opportunities
• 401(k) with employer match
• Parental leave
• Wellness stipends
• San Francisco relocation support
• In-office perks and team events

Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/D/V

We trust our team with sensitive information, so all candidates who receive and accept employment offers must complete a background check before joining us. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.